T4 - 6.1A:Chris, Sloe, Matt Sitko, Ryan Gambatesa (Attack on Fort Ticonderoga)


The History of Fort Ticonderoga



There were many different battles at Fort Ticonderoga. People wanted to take over this fort because it protected/held important routes that led into Canada. The people that held the fort would have access to the routes. The Green Mountain Boys defeated the British when they went to take over the fort. The British obtained the fort by attacking it while the French held it. (The French were the ones that originally built the fort.) There were many different battles that took place at Ticonderoga and they were at different time periods, but mainly in the late 1750s.

The American's first attack on fort Ticonderoga was during the French and Indian war. Fort Ticonderoga is at the southern tip of Lake Champlain. British and American troops set sail and sailed up Lake George on July 5th, 1758. They stopped sailing at the northern tip of Lake George. A French party is at the northern tip of the lake. They broke out into a fight with the French and Brigadier Lord Howe was killed. There was a thicket made of thorns and branches. French stood behind the thicket reinforcing the thicket so we couldn't get past it. They began are final assault on July 8th. The French held them off until they retreated because of many casualties.

The American's second attack on Fort Ticonderoga was in the Revolutionary War. The Americans captured Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. They used artillery from fort Ticonderoga to bombard General Gage out of Boston. He stated, " There's lots of support." (He said this quote, when the British were taking back Fort Ticonderoga.) During the winter of 1776 to 1777 they brought the fort to a better state of defense. They prepared the fort for an attack from the British. They built fortifications on Mount Independence. The fortifications are block houses, blockades, and batteries. British troops climbed Hope Hill and Sugar Hill. Both of the hills over looked Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence. The British started firing on them and they consulted with the council of war. They resulted in abandoning the fort. They retreated through the woods and rowed down South Bay. Fort Ticonderoga is back in the British hands.

During the battle of Fort Ticonderoga, the Green Mountain Boys were a group of tradesmen, farmers, blacksmiths, and former soldiers. They were organized in Vermont. They controlled the land between the Connecticut River and Lake Champlain. The leader of the Green Mountain Boys was Ethan Allen. He often said "In those parts of the world where learning and science has prevailed, miracles have ceased; but in those parts of it as are barbarous and ignorant, miracles are still in vogue." Other leaders were Ira Allen and Seth Warner. They organized a decade before the Revolutionary War began. Benedict Arnold joined with them when they were going to attack Fort Ticonderoga. In the year of 1775 they marched towards Fort Ticonderoga. The British finally surrendered the fort in early July 1777.

Fort Ticonderoga still stands today. There were many different battles on that fort. It played a huge role at the time and a lot of people died at that fort in battle. The French who were the original owners of the fort lost it to the British and later the British lost it. The fort was in different hands many different times. Even though today the fort still stands it is not an empty fort. In 1909 it was made into a museum and it is still a museum today. Fort Ticonderoga was built between 1755 and 1759 and fort Ticonderoga still stands today in New York.